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Friday, August 12, 2016

It's that time of year again...

Dogs feature in starring roles in many movies and TV shows, and they are also the main characters in many works of fiction.I could spend all day writing about the movies and books I have come to love because of their canine icons.But instead, I am currently focused on one group of canines who were the main characters in a series of books in the 1920’s through the 1930’s.The books were mainly works of fiction, but they also included many real events, and the dogs in the books were very real.They lived, played, and died at Sunnybank, and their lives were forever immortalized on the pages of Albert Payson Terhune’s books.

I’ve written many times about Sunnybank, and the wonderful Sunnybank collies.And each summer around this time many collie lovers and Terhune fans begin to get ready…for it’s almost time for The Gathering of Collies at Sunnybank!Reservations are made, collies are bathed and groomed, and we begin to pack for our trip to “Collie Mecca.”For many diehard Terhune fans, this is the one weekend they eagerly await all year.For on the banks of Sunnybank, though the main house and barn are long gone, the collies and their people gather for two days to explore the grounds, visit the graves of the Sunnybank collies, and to socialize.There are guest speakers, silent auctions, fun and games, a collie puppy match, and even a memorial for the collies that have left us.

Next weekend we will also be making the journey to Sunnybank, and we will be bringing some of our collies.I can’t wait to walk the grounds with my own collies, visit with friends, and of course take lots of pictures!We are going to enter our puppies in the puppy match, which is just a fun way to introduce puppies to dog shows.And we are just going to sit, and soak it all in, remembering our past trips to Sunnybank while we look out across the remaining 10 acres of “The Place.”

You can read more about Sunnybank by clicking HERE, HERE, and Also HERE.There is truly no other dog event that can compare to The Gathering, and I am so happy I can share the experience, with all of you.

15 comments:

Hi there, It's been awhile since I visited and I've missed reading about your beautiful Collies(so thank you for visiting me). I am not familiar with Terhune's books, but I always loved watching Lassie. When I was a young teen a neighbor had a Collie and I really wanted one, but our family had allergies and it wouldn't work. I'll be checking back to see how your trip is. Again, simply beautiful pups.Noreen

Sounds like a great place to visit! There used to be a similar annual gathering of Golden Retrievers and their humans in the UK. I've never been to it, and don't even know if it's still held or not; but I'd love to be able to go at least once.

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